A Legend In My Own Mind

Juan Cortina is one of those guys whose life makes him a prime candidate for a feature film. I found out about him recently when I watched the Ken Burns produced PBS documentary, “The West”. This doc is a depressing take on the relentless sprawl of honky “civilization” on its way West, and the horrible toll it inflicted on indigenous peoples and prior residents of the territories the whites absorbed. Juan Cortina is one of the heros who pushed back against the inevitable and he deserves to be remembered for his efforts. If you consider yourself a “patriotic American” you probably shouldn’t watch this documentary because you might get your feelings hurt.